Car loading device



Oct.. 8, 1935. J. W, HlcE I CAR LOADING DEVICE Filed NOV. ll, 1951 INVENTOR fhn M Hz'ce.

Wvg-WHW Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR LOADING DEVICE poration of Michigan Application November 11, 1931, Serial No. 574,385

4 Claims.

The invention relates to loading devices and it has particular relation to devices for loading motor vehicles in freight cars for transportation purposes.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a car loading device of the above mentioned character, which is of inexpensive construction, and which operates in a highly eflicient manner particularly for mounting and supporting vehicles in a freight car in a so-called decking arrangement; to provide a car loading device for this purpose, which can easily be adjusted for accommodating vehicles of different sizes and lengths; to provide a loading device of the above mentioned type, which can be associated with a freight car without requiring many manual operations and accordingly without involving much expense incidental to labor; and in general to provide a car loading device of simple construction, which positively supports the vehicle in proper position against undesirable movement during transportation thereof and which can easily be associated with the freight car and vehicle and be released from the vehicle to permit removal of the latter from the freight car.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1'is a fragmentary, transverse cross sectional view of a freight car, illustrating the manner in which car loading devices constructed according to one form of the invention, are mounted for the purpose of supporting a motor vehicle in the car;

Fig. 2 is a lateral view, on a larger scale, taken- Substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating in greater detail, one of the devices employed for supporting one of the vehicle wheels in a position above the floor of the car;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View on a slightly larger scale taken substantiallyv along the line lI-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on a slightly larger scale, taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view, on a slightly larger scale, taken substantially along the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the freight car fragmentarily illustrated, includes a floor I0, side walls II and I2, and a roof I3. In mounting a motor vehicle in the car, by using devices constructed according to the invention, it is particularly desired that Vthe wheels `at one end .of the (Cl. 10E-368) vehicle and ordinarily the rear wheels thereof, be supported directly on the floor I0 of the car, and that the front wheels be elevated. This manner of mounting disposes the vehicle in an inclined plane, thereby permitting a part of another vef5 hicle to be moved under the elevated part of the vehicle disposed in the inclined plane. Hence as seen in Fig. 1, it is desired that one set of wheels, indicated at I4 and I5 be positioned on the floor I0 by means of blocks I6 secured directly to the 10 floor at the front and rear sides of each Wheel. Ordinarily the blocks I6 will be employed to secure such set of wheels to the iioor before the opposite end of the vehicle is elevated, although manifestly the blocks maybe applied after such 15 other end of the vehicle is elevated and secured in elevated position. For securing and supporting the other vehicle wheels in elevated positions in the freight car, loading devices are associated with the side walls II and I2 respectively, and 20 since such devices are alike, although oppositely disposed, only one need be described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 particularly, a `screw member 20 is provided which has at opposite ends, offset flat eye portions 2| and 22, and bolts 25' 23 and`24 extending through the eye portions 2l and 22 respectively, secure the screw member 2l) at opposite ends to a channel iron 25, located in the side wall of the freight car adjacent the roof I3. Providing the screw member 20 with 30 offset eye portions 2I Vand 22, causes the intermediate and body portion of the screw to be located in spaced relation with respect to the side wall of the car. As best shown by Fig. 3, an arm 26 has an upper, substantially cylindrical 35 end vZ'I embracing the screw member 20 and a clamping end portion 28. A bolt 30 connecting the arm 26 to its end portion "28, serves to clamp the cylindrical end 21 to the screw member. It should be understood that the inner surface of 40 the cylindrical end 21 is threaded complementarily to the threads on the screw member 20 so as to avoid injury tothe screw threads on the latter, while at the same time providing means for adjusting the screw 26 along the 45 screw through small increments. While the bolt 30 clamps the arm 26 to the screw member, it is apparent that this clamping action need not be such that pivotal movement of the arm 26 it as desired. 55

Now as best shown by Fig. 2, the arm 26 projects into the upper end of a channel iron 33 and is secured thereto by means of rivets 3d. The inner surface of the base oi the channel arm 33 is provided with what may be termed rack teeth 35 extending transversely of the arm and a bar 36 complementary to the channel is provided with rack teeth 31 shown by Fig. 3, that cooperate with the rack teeth 55. The bar 36 is adjustably secured to the iron 33 by means of an elongated slot 31 in the bar and a bolt @Sextending through the slot and through the base of the iron. It is apparent that upon loosening the bolt, the bar may be moved longitudinally of the iron and then secured thereto against relative, longitudinal movement by tightening the bolt. lThe teeth on the iron and bar, positively prevent such relative, longitudinal movement of the bar and iron when the bolt 38 is tightened, Vwhile at the same time they provide a means for accurately adjusting the members through small increments of movement.

The lower end of bar'36 is riveted as indicated Y at 40, to an inverted V shaped supporting member di constructed or T iron preferably. At the apex of the member 4i, the latter is provided with a projecting portion 42 aligned with the bar 36 and it is to this portion preferably that the bar is secured by means of the aforementioned rivets. The inverted V shaped'member 4l comprises downwardly diverging arms 44 and 55 that terminate in their lower Vends respectively in laterally projecting portions 46 and 41 extending substantially horizontally and toward the center of the freight car. The laterally projecting portions 46 and 41 are adapted to partially embrace and support the lower part of a Vehicle tire indicated at 48.V As a further support for the tire, a metal strap 5i) having a radius of curvature substantially equal to that oi' the tire is secured at opposite ends to the portions 46 and 41V and is adapted to support the tire between such portions.

From the above description, it is apparent that a cradle-like device is provided for supporting each of the elevated wheels of the vehicle, and that this device is suspended from a single point and particularly from a pivotal point adjacent the roof of the car and located on the side wall thereof. It is likewise apparent that this pivotal point is movable through small increments of movement merely by clamping the arm 25 to the screw 26 at various places along the latter and that this adjustment can be made accurately because the arrangement permits adjustment through an increment of movement as small as the pitch length of the screw thread on the screw. It is likewise apparent that the tire embracing device can be raised or lowered through small increments of movement merely by adjusting the channel iron 33 with respect to the bar 36 and that when once adjusted the parts remain positively associated Without movement owing to the fact that the rack teeth on the respective parts positively prevent such movement. Also, it is apparent that these teeth Vtaire the load instead of allowing such load to be imparted to the bolt 33 securing the channel iron Y and bar 35 together and hence the bolt prima-vY rily is used only for maintaining the teeth in cooperating positions.

For maintaining the tire embracing device spaced from the side wall of the car, each of the legs 44 and 45 of the'V shaped member 4|,

f, is secured to an angle iron 55 by means of a effective length of both irons may be varied as 5 desired and by tightening the bolts such irons can be positively secured together against any change in length. The remote end of iron 51 is secured to a plate 60 by means of rivets 6I and the plate 60 is adapted to be secured to the 10` side wall of the car by any suitable securing means such as nails indicated at 62 in Fig. 3 which project through openings in the plate. It is obvious that bolts or other suitable securing means may be used instead of nails, but pref- 15 erably the nails will be used because the plates canv be secured more readily to the wall of the freight car inthe position desired.

The angle irons 55 and 51 at each end of the V shaped member 4|, extend longitudinally and Y20 obliquely toWar-d the side walls of the freight car in diverging relation and hence Vconstitute braces for preventing longitudinal as well astransverse movement of the tire embracing device. For further locating the vehicle positively in posi- 25 tion and preventing its movement transversely of the car, a bar'64 which may be constructed of wood, is secured to the wall of the car by means of nails 65 for example and extends obliquely and downwardly to the axle of the ve- 30 hicle. The lower end of the bar preferably is tapered as indicated at 66 and is adapted to project intothe hub portion of the Wheel indicated at 61 when the hub cap (not shown) is removed.

The bars 64 at opposite sides of the freight car 35' togetherV prevent transverse movement o! the axle 4of the vehicle although it is apparent that the angle irons 55 and 51 in conjunction with the V member 4 l, also assist in preventing any transverse movement of the latter. much as the metal strap 50 and the oiset portions'46 and 41 of the Yarms 44 and 45, may not prevent small movements of the vehicle wheels transversely of the car, the a-dvantage of usingV the bars 64 to positively prevent any movement 45 of the vehicle axle transversely of the car should be apparent. In this connection it is desired to call attention to the fact that the sides of the tires on the wheels are not necessarily engaged by any parts of the loading device'and this ar- 50 rangement is preferable, because it simplifies mounting the vehicle in position.

A car loading device of the type described is of inexpensive construction and may `readily be applied for the purpose of supporting one set 55 of wheels of the vehicle in an elevated position. The iine adjustability of the parts permits accurate mounting of the vehicle in the car in a simple and easy manner, and once the vehicle is mounted in an inclined position, movement 60 thereof longitudinally or transversely of the car is positively prevented. It is also apparent that the loading devices may be easily applied to the Y freight car as well as to the vehicle and hence However, inas- 40 rious modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A car loading device comprising a screw connected to an upper part of the car and extending longitudinally thereof, a clamping member embracing the screw and having threaded engagement therewith, a rack bar operatively connected to the clamping member, a second rack bar adjustably connected to the first rack bar, diverging arms extending downwardly from the end of the secon-d rack bar, and offset portions on said arms for engaging a vehicle wheel.

2. A car loading device comprising a screw connected to an upper part of the car and extending longitudinally thereof, a threaded clamping member embracing the screw, a rack bar operatively connected to the clamping member, a second rack bar a'djustably connected to the first rack bar, dverging arms extending downwardly from the lower end of the second rack bar, and a tire embracing strap connecting the lower ends of the arm.

3. A car loading device comprising a screw extending longitudinally of the car and connected to an upper part thereof, means havin-g threaded engagement with the screw and extending downwardly and inwardly of the car, said means terminating in downwardly diverging arms, and strap means connecting the lower ends of the arms and adapted to embrace a vehicle tire and support the latter in the car.

4. A car loading device comprising a screw extending longitudinally of the car and connected to the upper part thereof, means having threaded engagement with the screw and extending downwardly and inwardly of the car, diverging arms on the lower extremity of such means, a strap connecting the lower ends 'of such arms and adapted to embrace a vehicle tire, and means for bracing the vehicle wheel against lateral and longitudinal movement in the car.

JOHN W. HICE. 

